Mat Latos has lost nine straight starts dating back to last year

I’m not normally one to treat win-loss records for pitchers as being particularly meaningful, but this stat has to be pretty scary for Padres fans: Mat Latos has lost nine consecutive starts dating back to last season.

Latos was 14-5 with a 2.21 ERA in 26 starts through September 7 of last year. Since then he’s 0-9 with a 6.60 ERA in nine starts.

Latos has allowed 57 hits in 44 innings during that time, including seven homers, which is a lot of long balls for someone calling pitcher-friendly Petco Park home. He’s also began the season on the disabled list with a shoulder injury, which when combined with the extended struggles might suggest there’s something more going on with his arm.

However, his 44/17 K/BB ratio in actually very strong and after yesterday’s loss--in which just one of his six runs allowed was earned--Latos told John Maffei of the North County Times that he feels fine physically:

I feel fine. On the positive side, I didn’t give up a home run. I had good command of my curve and fastball. I felt I was aggressive down in the zone. I had a rough spring with injuries, didn’t pitch in a lot of games. I faced a lot of guys in rehab assignments, but it’s hard to get a rhythm facing your own guys. Have I lost confidence? No. Not at all. It’s not like I’m giving up 10 runs and getting the crap kicked out of me. I need to stay where I’m at and build on it.

Latos’ raw stuff has still been good enough to rack up plenty of strikeouts, but 0-9 with a 6.60 ERA is tough to ignore and his fastball velocity is down about two miles per hour so far this season.